Sauptika Parva Adhyaya 7 Shloka 23 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

←Previous VerseNext Verse→

Shloka 23

Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)

Devanagari script

पाणिकर्णा: सहस्राक्षास्तथैव च महोदरा: । निर्मासा: काकवकत्राश्ष श्येनवक्त्राक्ष भारत

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

pāṇikarṇāḥ sahasrākṣās tathaiva ca mahodarāḥ |

nirmāsāḥ kākavaktrāś ca śyenavaktrākṣa bhārata |

jvālākēśāś ca rājendra jvaladromacaturbhujāḥ |

meṣavaktrās tathaivānye tathā chāgamukhā nṛpa ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଭାରତ! କେତେକଙ୍କ କାନର ସ୍ଥାନରେ ହାତ ଥିଲା, କେତେକଙ୍କ ସହସ୍ର ଚକ୍ଷୁ ଥିଲା, ଏବଂ କେତେକଙ୍କ ଉଦର ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ବିଶାଳ ଥିଲା। କେହି ମାଂସରହିତ; କେହି କାକମୁଖ; କେହି ଶ୍ୟେନ-ସଦୃଶ ମୁହଁ ଓ ଚକ୍ଷୁ ଥିଲେ। ହେ ରାଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର! ସେମାନଙ୍କ କେଶ ଅଗ୍ନିଶିଖା ପରି ଜ୍ୱଳୁଥିଲା, ରୋମ-ରୋମ ଦହୁଥିଲା, ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ଚାରି ଭୁଜା ଥିଲା। ହେ ନୃପ! ଅନେକଙ୍କ ମୁହଁ ମେଷ ପରି, ଅନେକଙ୍କ ମୁହଁ ଛାଗ ପରି ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

पाणिकर्णाःhaving hands as ears / with hand-like ears

सहस्राक्षाःthousand-eyed

तथाthus; likewise

एवindeed; just

चand

महोदराःbig-bellied / pot-bellied

निर्मांसाःfleshless; without flesh

काकवक्त्राःcrow-faced

श्येनवक्त्राःhawk-faced

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

ज्वालाकेशाःhaving flaming hair

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

ज्वलद्रोमचतुर्भुजाःwith blazing body-hair and four arms

मेषवक्त्राःram-faced

तथाlikewise

एवindeed

अन्येothers

तथाand likewise

छागमुखाःgoat-faced

नृपO king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by vocatives bhārata, rājendra, nṛpa)

gaṇāḥ (hosts/troops of terrifying beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses grotesque, inhuman imagery to mark the moral inversion of the night slaughter: when violence breaks the codes of righteous warfare, the world is portrayed as filled with ominous, demonic signs. The ethical undertone is that adharma-driven acts invite भय (terror), अशुभ-लक्षण (ill omens), and karmic consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the dreadful sights associated with the Sauptika episode—terrifying hosts with unnatural forms (many-eyed, fleshless, bird- and animal-faced, flaming-haired, four-armed) appearing amid the night-time violence, heightening the sense of doom surrounding the massacre in the sleeping camp.